First day in the Park

Finally made it! My first day in the park!  Got in after 5pm last night, sorted out the paperwork at reception and then made my way to the campsite to see if I could get a nice position.  First I checked out the most private sites (those away from the main body of other campers/caravaners)  but still proximal to the communal kitchens and the ablution block.  Found a perfect site and pretty soon I had a fire going and onions and potatoes in tin foil to go with my boerewors.

It was a rush to get here but it is worth it.  While I was busy setting up there were elephants walking along the fence, breaking off mopani branches and stripping them and then a little while later a small herd of buffalo.  Later on I noticed a bushbaby in the tree over my tent.  Even later you could hear the hyenas calling...

The Route: On Monday we left Port Alfred by 10 am and traveled up through Grahamstown to Bedford.  There was a really chill wind blowing and what looked like snow on one of the higher mountains.  From there to Cradock and then to Hofmeyer and Steynsburg.  In the day and under dry conditions this route will be ok but would be dangerous at any other time.  In quite a few places there are a series of potholes on both sides of the lane so you have no choice but to hit all of them.  Not to mention one *huge* patch about 20m in size.  It had a Merc in front of me slamming on brakes and jinking all over trying to miss the worst of the patch.  I think on the way back I'll travel the Middelberg road instead.  Rather stop-go's than potholes...

The N1 to Bloemfontein had quite a number of stop-go's where they are rebuilding and resurfacing the roads.  When they're finished (!) it will be a very nice run to Johannesburg.

Wednesday I spent getting lost in Johannesburg.  I was trying to pick up my new Garmin Nuvi navigator and managed to miss my turn and found myself almost in Pretoria.  Three hours later I was back home with my Garmin, having used it to successfully navigate back.  However, I discovered that it did not have the current map set when it detoured me through Pretoria for nearly an hour on my way to the park!  After that I realised the value of the human component i.e. if the sign says N1 North then I take it, irrespective of what the navigator is saying.  It also tried it's luck in Polokwane but I just followed the signs and bypassed the city.

I don't know that I would follow the N1 north again to Louis Trichardt and then to Punda Maria.  I would imagine it would be faster but you hit a quite a few toll stations.  Not only that but most of the road from Louis Trichardt to the Punda Maria gate is through old Venda and because the houses are built so close to the road and because of the population is so dense the speed limit is 60km for nearly 70+km of the 100km stretch.  My preferred point of entry is still Phalaborwa.

The Park:  It was really hot yesterday when I arrived.  Not only hot but also dry.  I thought "Fantastic!  Two weeks of this!"  But today I woke up to find that it was overcast and raining!  I cant remember the last time it was like this in the park.   So anyway, I took a slow drive up to Pafuri, where I saw quite a few buffalo, elephant and nyala.  I meandered back and spent the rest of the afternoon snoozing!  What bliss!

Tomorrow I break camp and head for Shingwedzi.  I'll be there two nights and then down to Tsendze for two nights, with no power.  I'm really keen to see the new camp...